Warmth
by sayjay1995
Summary: Sakura and Sasuke get caught in a storm and wait it out at his place. With a cup of tea, the blazing fire, and good company, will something warm arise out of the cold winter night? Light SasuSaku fluff.


**A/N: Hey! It's me, writing another fluff fest. It seems like I can't resist writing it, no matter how hard I try! Here's a little SasuSaku, since I haven't written any in awhile. Also Kakashi is a creeper. Just sayin'. Speaking is "like this," and thinking **_**'like this,'**_** of course.**

**Disclaimer: I'm owning nothing up in this grill.**

**Warmth**

The flurry of delicate snowflakes descended down from the frosted gray sky. Konoha, a vibrant land in springtime, had fallen quiet beneath its blanket of snow. The weather channel had been calling for a severe storm, but for now, all was calm; the sun shone meekly from behind wispy clouds, and the flurries blew few and far between. Taking advantage of the relaxing break in the weather was-

"GET BACK HERE YOU RAMEN EATING SON OF A-!"

Sakura Haruno angrily rubbed snow off her freezing face, the sting of Naruto's snowball lingering. The blonde boy chuckled nervously as he jumped back a few feet, looking more sheepish than apologetic. He held up his hands in defense as the pinkette moved closer, her fists raised. Sure, he _claimed_ to have been aiming for the silent Uchiha boy standing in the background, just as she was _not_ going to bash his brains with an icicle. Kakashi had chosen that moment to disappear, probably to hide his book from the possible water damage of flying snowballs.

"Sorry Sakura! I swear, I was aiming for that duck head over there,"

Naruto laughed and ducked as a few came flying towards him; luckily, Sakura's rage was short lived, and her aim off. He managed to avoid the snowballs but in the process slipped and fell on his rear. Sasuke snickered at the sight, earning a death glare from the blonde. All in all, it was a typical winter day for the trio.

"Well, I have to meet Choji for our usual all-you-can-eat ramen contest- first one to eat at least one of every type of noodle wins and has to pay for the entire meal!"

Naruto grinned in his goofy manner, already back on his feet. He waved at his teammates, wasting no time to fill the vastness of his gut. Sakura sighed off the last of her anger, her hands on her hips as she mumbled something unintelligible. She glanced behind her at the sound of crunching snow; Sasuke had tried to slip away unnoticed. Though he had on a thick black jacket and hat, his hands were barren of gloves. He kept them warm by keeping them snug in his pockets, in typical Uchiha fashion.

"So you're just going to ditch me too, huh?"

Sakura pouted, her emerald orbs taking one last look at the area of snow; Naruto's snow angels were scattered about, along with the half a snow fort they had tried to build earlier. Today had actually been fun, and with minimal fighting to boot. She was reluctant to leave, but with both the boys gone, what fun would she have?

"Walk home with me then,"

Sasuke answered simply without slowing his pace. Sakura rolled her eyes, crossing her arms against her chest as she followed after him. It didn't take her long to fall into place beside him. Neither was sure when it had happened exactly, but there had been a shift in their relationship; no longer was Sakura the love crazed fangirl who swooned at Sasuke's every word. And likewise, the Uchiha teen had become somewhat softer towards his teammate, partaking in her conversations more often and refraining from calling her annoying.

On missions, he was quick to come to her aide, though with her newfound abilities it was unnecessary. Kakashi had picked up on the change almost as soon as it had happened; Sasuke, looking flushed, was constantly snapping at Sensei to mind his own damn business, thank you very much. Sakura would pretend not to hear, her inner voice exploding in embarrassed furry. Naruto still hadn't noticed. In any case, they had become closer, and it proved true as the two walked down the slushy streets of Konoha together.

"…And then I told her to _chill _out, get it?"

Sakura laughed at her own pun, greeted by a soft grunt from her companion, which by now she knew was his way of chuckling. Her cheeks grew rosy at the sound, the frigid air one of two things that sent shivers down her spine. The sun was masked behind the thickening clouds; Sakura rubbed her arms, watching their breath rise up in clouds above their heads. Sasuke's onyx orbs snuck a look at the girl beside him; it was apparent that she was cold, and though it bothered him to notice, he made no move to help.

"Hn… looks like the storm might come after all,"

Sasuke could sense the wind as it changed direction and intensity; if the forecast was accurate, then he and Sakura needed to get home soon. She nodded in agreement. Together, they quickened their pace. The sky above darkened; out of the blue, it cried sheets of snowflakes. The air was thick with freezing wet snow that covered every surface, to the point where seeing the world of white was almost impossible. They were running now, the sound of their feet chomping down on the covered sidewalk lost in the howling wind.

"G-Gah!"

Sakura's foot came down on a patch of ice and slipped out underneath her. Arms flailing, she struggled to upright herself, suffering from a mini heart attack in the process. She never hit the ice. Sasuke's hand rested on her lower back, his free arm snaking around her waist and pulling her upright. Her heart continued beating wildly, her lips parted in the gasp that never made it past her throat. Sasuke's face was so close to hers, she could feel the warmth of his breath on her frozen skin. He was staring into her eyes, and for a moment she could have sworn she saw a flash of worry before he masked it with his usual apathetic frown. The wind played with her hair as it clung to her cheeks; Sasuke briefly watched the wild pink strands before dropping his arms and taking a step back.

"It's snowing harder. My place is around the corner; you can stay until it dies down,"

He said curtly, the moment between them shattered. He continued walking as if nothing had happened. Sakura blinked, her heart finally settling down, confusion taking place.

'_Thank you…?'_

She thought uncertainly, her eyes trained on his retreating form. It didn't take long for them to reach the spacious Uchiha household. Its black outline against the sky made it seem cold and empty. Abandoned and dilapidated. Sasuke lived here, all alone, she realized. Of course she had known it; the thought just hadn't really occurred to her. It was no wonder he was drawn back and reserved, preferring to hide his feelings and act like nothing mattered. They slipped inside and stripped off their wet winter wares, tossing them in the corner to dry. It was as freezing inside as it was out.

"I'll make tea. Make yourself… comfortable,"

Sasuke blew into the fireplace, a low fire erupting from his fingertips and landing on the logs that awaited. The silence was, in a word, awkward, as Sasuke headed for the kitchen. Sakura moved closer to the heat, her eyes taking in the décor. She couldn't believe it; she was actually inside Sasuke's house! Ino had tried on numerous occasions to get in here, but that cow never managed to do it! The lighting was dim, partly from the tightly drawn curtains that covered all the windows. As far as furniture went, what Sasuke had was lavish, but sparse. The room seemed… empty, with only one couch, the fireplace, and a small TV that looked like he never watched it.

There was a painting hung above the mantle of the fireplace; it must have been a family portrait. Sakura edged closer, squinting to see the many faces that had been squeezed into the canvas. The entire Uchiha family had been featured, it seemed. She scanned it eagerly for the face she yearned to see most; in the front row, towards the middle, she found him. Sasuke, just a toddler, standing in front of his parents. She couldn't help but smile at the sight; even as a painting, he was adorable! With that clueless look on his face, the innocence that only a child could pull off. Someone else stood beside him, but that figure had been scratched out. Strips of canvas hung down limply, at least what was left of the ruined part.

Sasuke could be heard in the kitchen banging the tea kettle around. Sakura tiptoed in, observing the wild Uchiha in its native habitat. His movements, as always, were deliberate and calculated. He was pouring the hot tea into two mugs, one with a slice of lemon in it- the way she liked her tea. Something in her chest stirred; she could imagine herself sneaking up behind him, wrapping her arms around his muscular stomach, pressing her face into the fan on his back.

"…I know you're there. You can come over, you know,"

Sasuke half glanced over his shoulder, his face blank. Sakura's face lit up in embarrassment, though she tried to cover it up with a small smile. He paused; he hadn't been talking to Sakura just then, but since she was the only one there… He gestured at her mug as he picked up his own, steam rising, bringing with it the fresh scent of green tea. She took her own mug, loving the warmth it provided her fingers as they finally thawed. It was chillier in the kitchen, away from the fire. He gave her a questioning look, as if he was unsure what to do or say. He had never had company over at his house before. Ever. Nor had he ever been this alone with Sakura; always, Naruto had been nearby, or Kakashi or whoever. It felt strange to have her here now. Add that to the pain of having to entertain her and Sasuke found himself with a slight headache.

"The tea is delicious,"

Sakura attempted to start a conversation as she sipped her warm beverage, the lemon adding the right amount of goodness to make her shudder, and this time not from the weather. Sasuke shrugged in reply as he took a swig of his own tea. It was fine, he supposed. Just tea, nothing special. He nodded back towards the living room before heading in the said direction. Smothered in silence, she also went that way, unsure of what they were going to talk about.

Sasuke gestured at the sofa before sitting down himself, crossing his legs and leaning back into the cushions. He closed his eyes and seemed to be content. Sakura paused before sliding into the cushion next to him, hoping that wasn't too close. He didn't even open his eyes. Save the crackling of the fire, the only other sound was the winding bashing into the house. Sakura sat her mug on the carpeted floor carefully, off to the side so as to avoid knocking it over if she stretched her legs. She drummed her fingers on her knees absentmindedly, staring off into space.

"Don't do that. It's annoying,"

Sasuke's hand reached out and lightly grasped one of Sakura's; his pale fingers covered hers, halting their movement in a heartbeat. When she turned to face him, his eyes were open. Their dark coloring stared back into hers, void of any emotion. He seemed to be waiting for her response. She raised a pink eyebrow at him before pulling her hand free.

"So you _can_ be hospitable and talk to me. I'm flattered, but please, let's not try to hold my hand tonight,"

Sakura smirked, her tone teasing at the look on Sasuke's face. The black haired Uchiha made a face when she mentioned the touch, his way of showing his discomfort. She found she enjoyed making him squirm for once and leaned in close, wanting the torture to continue.

"You're constantly swarmed by pretty girls, all clawing to get one glance of your stony eyes. Are you intimidated by girls, Pretty Boy-_san_? Is that why you can't talk to me?~"

She grinned evilly, her face inches from his. Sasuke scowled back for just a moment before dropped the look. His eyes bore into hers, smoldering her own with their dark beauty. His arm draped around the back of the couch, the tips of his fingers reaching out to brush her sleeve lightly. He turned the tables on her, talking back in a similar sexy voice.

"Fangirls and the pathetic weakness they call love are simply a burden. I don't need it. I need power. So no, I don't find it difficult to talk to pretty girls like you…"

He let his words trail off, watching with amusement as Sakura's cheeks reddened enough to clash with her hair. She opened her mouth to speak, but found only flustered silence; she was butter in his hands, melted by the heat that was Uchiha Sasuke and those extremely sexy facial features. He pulled back then, smirking at her.

"You should see the look on your face. As if _I'm _the one who finds it hard to talk to _you_,"

Sakura gaped at him before closing her mouth, wondering what just happened. They had been teasing each other? Flirting, almost? Or had it all been a little mind game that he had planned on winning from the beginning? Who cared, her inner voice shouted, she had never seen that kind of behavior from an Uchiha!

"W-Well… um…"

Sakura blushed darker and stared down at her hands, falling silent. Sasuke still had that stupid smirk on his face, which she found difficult to ignore. Her eyes caught hold of the TV; the remote was sitting on top of it. He followed her eyes and grunted when he saw it, telling her to go ahead and watch it if she wanted. Sakura scooped the remote into her hands and raced back to the warmth of her seat, jabbing the power button as she did so. She put on a random channel, anything to distract her spinning head. Her body was tense, her mind painfully conscious of the fact that Sasuke had yet to retract his arm that draped behind her. It was so temping to snuggle into him and loose herself in the glow of the fire…

"What are you daydreaming about?"

Sasuke muttered, watching the way her emerald eyes seemed to zone out. He could always tell when she was thinking about something. Without being aware of it, his onyx eyes looked her over once or twice. The green sweater she was wearing was snug over her modest curves, the color reminding him of her eyes. She blinked a few times, coming back to the real world, looking startled at his question.

"If I wanted you to know, I would have told you already!"

She answered, smiling softly to let him know it was a joke. Secretly, she thought she would die if he ever knew she fantasized about him. He himself had admitted to finding fangirls pathetic. Wasn't she acting like one every time her heart betrayed her mind and allowed herself to enjoy thinking about him? Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, pretending not to care. It did bother him though, to not know what she was thinking about.

'_She used to be easy to read. Like an open book. Ever since becoming a medic nin, she's changed. There's more confidence in the way she moves, and I've seen the increased strength in the way she punches Naruto. Sakura has been my teammate for so long… but it's like we've only just met,'_

Sasuke sighed in his own frustration. He liked having people figured out, but Sakura was the one person who could throw him a curveball. He never knew what to expect from her, whether it be a powerful smack across the head or the advice of a girl aged well beyond her youthful years. The TV droned on, lulling Sakura into a state of exhaustion. She usually left her own on to fall asleep, finding the background noise comforting. Though she tried to fight it, her head eventually drifted to the side until her body slumped over, into Sasuke's side. He stiffened when her head hit his shoulder, her breathing soft and even.

"…"

Sasuke didn't dare move for fear of waking her. She twitched a little bit, looking uncomfortable. He gently adjusted himself so she could lean on him more. Apparently he made a good pillow; Sakura eased again and fell into a deeper sleep. His own heart seemed to skip a beat; he was feeling strange. Not awkward, per say, but… despite his urge to stay apathetic, to ignore the human emotions that held his façade captive, he couldn't deny the simple fact; he felt some shred of happiness that began stitching itself into a warm feeling of contentment. Finding his head resting against her pink one, Sasuke's free hand relaxed, his fingers brushing against the ones Sakura had left on her lap. Everything about her was soft, and warm, and comforting. He had never felt so at ease and so weak at the same time. The wind outside continued raging, pulling them both into a stupor as they took advantage of each other's presence.

'_This would make for a good story plot, for one of those sappy teenage love sagas. Or just as blackmail to torture Sasuke with,' _

Kakashi chuckled, from behind his camera lenses, his good eye watching the scene from the window outside where he had been for the entire duration of the fluff fest.

**A/N: Not quite as much fluff as I had planned, but I thought it turned out cute none-the-less. Reviews would be nice.**


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